ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Mar. 30, 2023) – Despite six different Mavericks recording an RBI, the Mercy College softball team dropped 5-4 and 7-4 decisions to ECC foe Molloy University on Thursday afternoon at the RVC Sports Complex.
The Mavericks (5-21, 0-4 ECC) have dropped four games in a row, while the Lions (16-10, 4-0 ECC) remain unbeaten in ECC play.
Game 1: Molloy 5, Mercy 4
After a scoreless top of the first, Molloy scored three runs on four hits and one Mercy error to take a 3-0 lead.
The score remained 3-0 until the top of the third when the Mavericks scored three runs to tie the game at 3-3. Freshman Cayla Crawford (Hemet, Calif./West Valley) led off the inning with a single and stole second before junior Shannon Sisco (Cicero, N.Y./Mansfield University) singled to put runners on first and third. Sophomore Victoria Seppala (Abington, Mass./Abington) then tripled to right center, scoring both Crawford and Sisco to make it 3-2. Senior Samantha Franck (La Habra Heights, Calif./La Habra) later plated Seppala on a groundout to second tie the game at 3-3.
The game stayed tied at 3-3 until the bottom of the fifth when Molloy scored two runs on three hits to take a 5-3 lead. The Mavericks got a run back in the top of the sixth after a Crawford home run to right field, making it 5-4.
Seppala led off the top of the seventh with a single, but was left stranded at second and Molloy earned the 5-4 game one win.
Crawford went 2-for-3 with her first collegiate home run and two runs. Seppala went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI and Sisco went 3-for-4 with a run. Senior Sydney Johnston (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial) went 2-for-4 and senior Alexi Benson (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) pitched a complete game with four strikeouts to take the loss. Benson now has 283 career strikeouts, setting a new school record for career strikeouts. She surpasses the previous record of 282 strikeouts set by Mary Sieber in 2014.
Molloy was led by Amanda King who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and pitched a complete game to earn the win.
Mercy had nine hits and one error and Molloy had 11 hits and four errors.
Game 2: Molloy 7, Mercy 4
Mercy jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Sisco led off the game with a single and stole second before scoring on a Johnston RBI single to make it 1-0.
The Lions scored four runs in the bottom of the second on three hits and a Mercy error to take a 4-1 lead.
The Mavericks inched closer in the fourth inning with a run to make it 4-2. Crawford reached on an error and scored following a Sisco double to centerfield to make it 4-2.
The Lions added two runs in the fifth and one run in the sixth to make it 7-2. Seppala singled in the top of the seventh and scored on a Franck RBI double to make it 7-3. Senior Nicole Smart (Santa Clarita, Calif./Golden Valley) brought home the second run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to make it 7-4. A lineout to second ended the game with Molloy earning the 7-4 game two win.
Franck went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Sisco went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Seppala went 2-for-4 with a run and Johnston went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Smart went 1-for-3 with an RBI and junior Mia Harris (West Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) and Crawford both went 1-for-3. Senior Angelina Oquendo (Middle Island, N.Y./Longwood) allowed five earned runs in five innings to take the loss.
Molloy was led by Akemi Poyer who went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Brianna Macias pitched a complete game with three earned runs allowed to earn the win.
Mercy had 11 hits and three errors and Molloy had five hits and one error.
Head Coach Jaime Lorenzo and the Mavericks resume action on Sunday, April 2nd when they play at D'Youville at 12 p.m.
